Chapter 421: The Sudden System Upgrade
Before departing, Su Tao welcomed the coastal convoy—their “money tree.”
The convoy captain, under Gu Mingchi’s command, called over the spatial ability user and followed Su Tao to meet Lin Fangzhi.
After an exchange between the two, the large pile of crystal cores was transferred into Lin Fangzhi’s possession. Meanwhile, the convoy captain presented the accounts for Su Tao to verify.
Ignoring the long list of supplies and their selling prices, Su Tao’s gaze jumped to the final number—8560 crystal cores.
Maintaining a calm façade, she nodded politely to the convoy captain and called Qian Rongrong to double-check the accounts. Then, she slipped away to jump around in excitement for a whole minute.
8,000 crystal cores!
Even after annexing the entire eastern district, there would still be over half remaining.
With these extra crystal cores, not only could she secure all of Dongyang under her control, but she could also invest in expanding Taoyang!
Most importantly, this was just from one trip. If the convoy continued their runs—exploiting the coastal areas and eventually venturing abroad—Gu Mingchi’s grand vision for her could become a reality.
No more worrying about crystal cores ever again!
Her moment of glee was interrupted by Qian Rongrong’s ecstatic shout:
“Ahhh—Captain, please wait a moment!”
After confirming the accounts, Su Tao graciously treated the entire convoy to a feast, serving Taoyang’s finest dishes.
These men were true heroes. They had traveled tirelessly, fought zombies and bandits, and even trekked over 30 kilometers on foot when their vehicles broke down. Some had even died during the mission, though the convoy captain, following Gu Mingchi’s orders, chose not to burden Su Tao with the grim details.
Seeing some members with injuries—casts on limbs and all—still determinedly helping themselves to extra servings of food, Su Tao decided to share a portion of the crystal cores with Gu Mingchi.
When Gu Mingchi saw her calling, he was surprised—she was calling him first for once.
Deliberately letting the phone ring until the last second, he finally answered:
“What’s up? Just heard it ring.”
Ignoring his antics, Su Tao spoke sincerely:
“Boss Gu, I can’t thank you enough. Without your convoy helping us sell this batch of supplies, Taoyang would never have been able to earn so many crystal cores in such a short time.”
Back then, Taoyang had no manpower or vehicles—just piles of resources with no way to transport them.
If not for Gu Mingchi, they would’ve had to wait for reinforcements from Changjing to form their own convoy.
“So, I was thinking—it wouldn’t be fair for us to freeload. About these crystal cores—”
Gu Mingchi cut her off immediately:
“No need. Right now, annex the eastern district and activate the protective shield. Can you finish within an hour?”
Su Tao froze—she was already en route to Shou’an.
“…Not enough time? How long do you need, then?”
Su Tao reluctantly said by the day after tomorrow, explaining she would arrive in Shou’an by tomorrow morning.
Narrowing his eyes, Gu Mingchi asked, “Why so long? It only took you an afternoon to annex the western third district. Are you busy with something else?”
Su Tao hesitated—this old fox knows every detail of her operations.
Not wanting to arouse further suspicion, she postponed her trip to Shou’an, retrieved the crystal cores from Lin Fangzhi, and swiftly annexed the eastern district while spending a fortune to erect the protective shield.
The map of Taoyang’s territory instantly expanded to include the eastern section.
Satisfied, Su Tao was about to exit the system interface when a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind:
[Landlady System: Hidden condition for Level 8 upgrade achieved—controlled area exceeds 1 square kilometer. Would you like to spend 50 million Federation Coins to upgrade the system?]
Su Tao was stunned—she had unknowingly met the hidden upgrade condition.
Back when she reached Level 7, the system didn’t specify further upgrade requirements, though she had a hunch Level 8 was a significant milestone.
Without hesitation, Su Tao clicked “Yes.”
Total assets -50,000,000 Federation Coins.
[Congratulations! Landlady System upgraded to Level 8. The following features have been unlocked:]
Free Lease Mode – Su Tao can now set the size, capacity, and rental price of any property.
Free Region Selection – Allows to select and view any area on the map.
Absolute Regional Control – Grants total authority over managed regions.
Su Tao’s jaw dropped—this was the most generous system upgrade yet.
Testing the new construction mode, she built a simple “matchbox” unit with no furniture or amenities. Surprisingly, the system allowed her to list it for rent with no restrictions—even permitting her to set an outrageous monthly rent of one million.
This newfound flexibility was a stark contrast to the earlier rigid rules requiring essential facilities and fixed rent prices.
After contemplating the system’s intention behind this freedom, Su Tao recalled an old lesson from Master Gu:
In the pre-apocalypse world, many public infrastructures—like subways—operated at a loss to serve the people. If profit became the priority, the cost of living would skyrocket, making basic transportation unaffordable for the average worker.
Su Tao realized the system might be nudging her toward a greater responsibility—to prioritize public welfare over profit in the post-apocalyptic world.
Taking a deep breath, Su Tao accepted the burden the system had placed upon her shoulders.
Curious, she explored the second unlocked feature—the interactive map.
Her breath quickened.
Every area on the map could now be annexed using crystal cores!
Even distant locations like Shou’an Base, Wutai Base, Xindu Base, coastal archipelagos, and even the far-off Changjing region were now under her potential control.
Heart pounding, Su Tao grasped the sheer magnitude of her new powers.
